7-day plan: Justice and mercy
What God expects of his people: justice, care for the weak, and compassion for those who fail.
One passage a day, with a question to think it over. Your progress stays on this device, no account needed.
Day 1 · What God asks
What God asks: do justice, love loyal love, and walk humbly with him
With what shall I come before YHWH, and bow myself before the Elohim on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will YHWH be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my womb for the sin of my soul? He has announced to you, human being, what is good; and what does YHWH seek from you but to do justice, and to love loyal love, and to walk humbly with your Elohim?
Micah 6:6–8 · Read the whole chapterTo think about
What does this passage say about what God is like?
Day 2 · The poor, the widow and the foreigner
The law reminds Israel it was a foreigner in Egypt and forbids mistreating widows and orphans
You shall not mistreat a resident alien or oppress him, for you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict him —for if he does cry out to me, I will surely hear his cry— and my anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will become widows and your sons orphans.
Exodus 22:21–24 · Read the whole chapterTo think about
Which word or phrase stays with you, and why?
Day 3 · Against oppression
The fast God chooses: loosing chains, sharing bread and clothing the naked
Is this not the fast that I choose: to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, and to set free the crushed, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the wandering afflicted home; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will sprout quickly; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of YHWH will gather you. Then you will call, and YHWH will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove from your midst the yoke, the pointing of the finger and the speaking of wickedness,
Isaiah 58:6–9 · Read the whole chapterTo think about
What situation in your life does this passage speak to?
Day 4 · Mercy
A Samaritan stops for the wounded man a priest and a Levite avoided
And Jesus replied and said, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among bandits, who also stripped him and laid blows on him and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite also, coming to the place and seeing him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, traveling, came to him; and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. And he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and putting him on his own animal, he brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three seems to you to have become a neighbor to the one who fell among the bandits?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go, and you do likewise.”
Luke 10:30–37 · Read the whole chapterTo think about
Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” Who near you needs a concrete help today that you can actually give? (v. 37)
Day 5 · What God asks
God rejects feasts and songs while justice is missing: let it flow like a stream
I hate, I reject your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even if you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals I will not look at. Take away from me the noise of your songs, and the melody of your harps I will not hear. But let justice roll on like the waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:21–24 · Read the whole chapterTo think about
Who could you share this with this week?
Day 6 · The poor, the widow and the foreigner
When harvesting, leave the edge of the field for the poor and the foreigner
And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish reaping the edge of your field, and the gleanings of your harvest you shall not gather. And your vineyard you shall not strip bare, and the fallen grapes of your vineyard you shall not gather; for the poor and for the resident alien you shall leave them. I am YHWH your Elohim.
Leviticus 19:9–10 · Read the whole chapterTo think about
What would you like to say to God after reading it?
Day 7 · Against oppression
Amos condemns those who rig the scales to take advantage of the poor
Hear this, you who pant after the needy, and seek to bring to an end the poor of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over, so that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so that we may open the stores of wheat, to make small the ephah and make great the shekel, and to falsify scales of deceit, to buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and the refuse of the wheat we will sell?” YHWH has sworn by the pride of Jacob: I will never forget any of their deeds.
Amos 8:4–7 · Read the whole chapterTo think about
Looking back over the week, what changed in how you see this topic?